Country Bank Partners with Seven Local Banks on Virtual Credit for Life Program

WARE — Country Bank announced it has partnered with seven other local banks to transform the Credit for Life program from an on-site event to a virtual event. Credit for Life, a popular financial-literacy program, has been offered for more than a decade within many Massachusetts public schools.

With most, if not all, schools adopting a virtual learning model for students, Credit for Life organizers connected last summer to explore a virtual experience in 2021. As part of the virtual transformation, organizers enlisted FitMoney.org, a nonprofit financial-literacy organization, to serve as the key fiscal agent, and Stackpole & Partners of Newburyport for the design and implementation of an interactive website. Contributing partners are Country Bank, Institution for Savings, Cape Cod 5, Bay Coast Bank, HarborOne Bank, the Savings Bank, Rockland Trust, and Westfield Bank.

During the half-day, online Credit for Life Fair, students will assume the role of a 25-year-old adult and be asked to make financial decisions on how to spend their money.

“The Credit for Life Fair is one of the most important and impactful events we offer every year,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president of Community Relations at Country Bank. “We are honored to be able to partner with other local banks to make the fair a reality again for students. The interactive website is a tool that educators and others can use in the current learning environment. Teachers are being asked to do so much right now, this is just one small way we can offer our support.”

Development of the website is in the final stages; the group is hopeful that the site will be ready for use by high schools toward the end of March. In addition, the partnership group is also in the process of establishing a 501(c)(3) that will allow for the ability to raise funds and plan for future school financial-literacy initiatives similar to creditforlife.org.